Gaining Holiday Waite

The tree at Dad and Cindy's

You know, sometimes I surprise even myself with some of these clever title choices*, America.

Anyway, the day after Christmas is generally the day the Houghs and Waites (my dad's sister's family) get together and celebrate the Holidays.  Not a lot of gift-exchanging anymore (all the kids are grown up now), but we do have our fair share of feasting and drinking.  And watching football.  Usually this annual event falls on the 26th, but this year - and I forget why, exactly, we had to do it on the 27th.  This more or less meant that we stayed up in Clare for the weekend, as driving back and forth from Midland every day is, well, pretty shitty.

So check it out, folks - this year's grand Hough/Waite Extended Family Christmas:

Morning of the 27th.  The calm before the storm.

As always, my kids were up loooooong before they should have been.  After watching their morning dose of Netflix, the Cannonball stopped in to Dad's office to assist him in his random iNerdery.

I can't wait to have a piano like this in our new house (when we buy a home, opposed to one like we're renting now for the time being - there's no way I'd move a piano on a temporary basis.)  Granny's going to be giving us hers, which looks more or less like the one you see pictured here.  This one was the one I learned on, and I really miss having one in the house:  the Cannonball took piano for about a year before we moved, and I myself took lessons for nine years or so.  Not a drum set, of course, but it'll do.

Kitchen colleagues (this being the one time of the year you'll ever spot Dad making something that isn't a sandwich in the kitchen.)

A good, clean work station.  The chef in his zone.

Sunday morning in Clare

The girls are taking a late-morning TV break (and, in a rare display of sisterly affection, they're actually snuggling.)

Chris and Nicole (and their dog, Tucker) showed up in the early afternoon.  They were swinging through on their way back from Traverse City, where they had been celebrating Christmas with Nicole's side of the family.

She's a sport to let our obnoxious children mess with her hair upon command.

More gift opening.

Papa and some of my dependents.

Shit's about to hit the fan.

Showing some team spirit for the upcoming Lions game.

When these three get together, all hell breaks loose.  Watson and Bailey get it out of their system fairly quickly, but you throw the passive Tucker in the mix, and suddenly the two more aggressive dogs start competing for Alpha Male dominance.

Abby calls a temporary ceasefire.

Go Lions. . . ? (Watson's taking a break from his canine shenanigans - that ottoman has proven to be one of his favorite napping spots at Dad and Cindy's.)

Another three-way.  You could fool yourself into thinking they were trying to form a conga line, but. . . that wouldn't be at all accurate.  Sadly.

Bryan and Lyssa

Superfans.

The Houghs, v.2.2

Lucy and Larry (and my cousin, Rachel) showed up in the late afternoon.  Here, Lucy attempts to understand the youthful obsession with Shopkins.

No idea what the lecture is.

In the library, enjoying some quiet (and Playmobil.)

After watching the game for a bit, I started getting bored, and so I found my way to our old Super Nintendo downstairs.  This gem here is Joe and Mac - one of our favorite SNES titles growing up.  

An Uncle Bryan sandwich.  

Following the game, the Whites made it over.  As it got closer to dinner, people started migrating downstairs for pool and pinball. . .

Girl talk

(That's a Sprite, guys.  Give me some credit.)

Christmas with the Whites

Grandkid table

The Uncles Bri(y)an snuck outdoors to shoot off a series of fireworks for the kids, which thrilled the younger ones, and consequently pissed off the neighbors across the pond.  Whatever - they suck anyway.

Another Hough family tradition

Things have gotten a lot more PG around these parts since everyone started pumping out kids.

With the Waite cousins (and their fiances) not present, and Chris and Jeff (and their spouses) no longer present, we were a little under-staffed for a full family blowout in the basement.  You can always count on these two, though.

By the end of the night, it was just me and Rowley, so we decided to play mad scientist with what was left in the parents' liquor cabinet.  The results weren't pretty.

Some of these bottles have been down in the bar since we were in High School. . .

He has good cause to be worried.

And as a nightcap:  Nerf guns.  'Cause it's Christmas.

- Brian

*  = If you didn't catch it before, I employed a play on words with my extended family's surname, Waite.  The fact that I had to just explain that joke kinda kills it, but. . . whatever.